212 THE FEVER. 



CHAPTER X. 



The Fever. — Its Symptoms. — Remedies of the native Doctors. — Hospitality of Se- 

 keletu and his People. — One of their Reasons for Polygamy. — They cultivate 

 largely. — The Makalaka or subject Tribes. — Sebituane's Policy respecting them. 

 — Their Affection for him. — Products of the Soil. — Instrument of Culture. — The 

 Tribute. — Distributed by the Chief. — A warlike Demonstration. — Lechulatebe's 

 Provocations. — The Makololo determine to punish him. — The Bechuanas. — 

 Meaning of the Term. — Three Divisions of the great Family of South Africans. 



On the 30th of May I was seized with fever for the first time. 

 We reached the town of Linyanti on the 23d ; and as my habits 

 were suddenly changed from great exertion to comparative in^ 

 activity, at the commencement of the cold season I suffered from 

 a severe attack of stoppage of the secretions, closely resembling 

 a common cold. Warm baths and drinks relieved me, and I had 

 no idea but that I was now recovering from the effects of a chill, 

 got by leaving the warm wagon in the evening in order to con- 

 duct family worship at my people's fire. But on the 2d of June 

 a relapse showed to the Makololo, who knew the complaint, 

 that my indisposition was no other than the fever, with which I 

 have since made a more intimate acquaintance. Cold east 

 winds prevail at this time ; and as they come over the extensive 

 flats inundated by the Chobe, as well as many other districts 

 where pools of rain-water are now drying up, they may be sup- 

 posed to be loaded with malaria and watery vapor, and many 

 cases of fever follow. The usual symptoms of stopped secretion 

 are manifested — shivering and a feeling of coldness, though the 

 skin is quite hot to the touch of another. The heat in the ax- 

 illa, over the heart and region of the stomach, was in my case 

 100° ; but along the spine and at the nape of the neck 103°. 

 The internal processes were all, with the exception of the kid- 

 neys and liver, stopped ; the latter, in its efforts to free the 

 blood of noxious particles, often secretes enormous quantities of 

 bile. There were pains along the spine, and frontal headache. 

 Anxious to ascertain whether the natives possessed the knowl- 

 edge of any remedy of which we were ignorant, I requested the 

 assistance of one of Sekeletu's doctors. He put some roots into 



